Mystery: When the Fool Meets the Masked Fool

Chapter 420 [Gold] Audrey

She was a beautiful woman, dressed in a classic robe and wearing a black hood. Her face was expressionless, and her eyes were dark but lacked spirit.

Azik was taken aback for a moment, then asked in a low and uncertain voice.

"It's you?"

The other person did not answer, but slowly extended their right hand, making a "take it" gesture.

Azik looked at Him, remained silent for a few seconds, and then closed his eyes.

The vessel for the divine descent of the Mother of Heaven, the Goddess of Night.

He can't beat him, and there's no need to fight him.

The skin connected to the gold ornament turned pale and lifeless, as if the skin had suddenly died.

Azik's expression contorted once more, as if he were enduring unimaginable pain. But he still resolutely raised his right hand, turning it ashen.

The Heavenly Mother watched Azik's every move silently, without doing anything.

Azik's graying hand gripped the frame of the gold ornament, clenching it tightly around the bird-shaped gold piece.

Then, he slowly pulled his arm back and ripped the ancient object out of the crack on his forehead.

As the bird-shaped gold ornament was pulled out, Azik's spirit began to split from the middle, inch by inch, as if his skin were being peeled off with a knife.

His face turned slightly pale and translucent, and his forehead twitched intermittently, clearly enduring pain originating from the depths of his spiritual body.

But during this action, Azik did not make a sound, not a scream, not a roar.

Only the pain of being torn apart in flesh and spirit caused Him to be covered in sweat.

Soon, the golden ornament separated from Azik's head and transformed into a beam of light, entering the hands of the Heavenly Mother.

The Heavenly Mother said nothing, accepted the gold jewelry, and gave Azik a faint smile, her soulless eyes reflecting Azik's image.

The next moment, His form vanished as if erased by an eraser, leaving only a soft, gentle melody.

That is a requiem that can even draw the gods into their dreams.

"Poets say that the soul is the foundation of all things."

"They were guided to the end of the west wind, and turned into drizzle that fell on the next life."

"Therefore, where there is life, there is death, and the unchanging soul is in constant flux."

Azik slowly sat down against the wall, closed his eyes, and felt the comfort of his soul being slowly repaired in the tranquil dream.

…………

The Astral Realm, a divine realm overgrown with moonflowers and deep sleep grass.

Amanises, the goddess of night, used the moon as a pillow and held the golden ornament shaped like a bird's beak in her hands.

Her clothes were layered but not complicated, inlaid with starlight, like the night sky. Her body was somewhat ethereal, with signs of ripples spreading outwards. Her face seemed to be covered by layers of thin gauze, hazy yet exceptionally beautiful.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, He raised His head.

He felt as if he was being watched by something.

That gaze pierced through countless spaces and landed on Him, causing Him to feel a slight tremor even from such a distance.

No, they weren't targeting Him, but rather what He is currently doing.

It feels like "there's something that needs to be done, but it doesn't matter who does it."

The goddess of the night was completely ignored and became a byproduct of something else.

He hadn't felt this way in a long time.

It was as if he had returned to the time when he was just an ordinary eight-legged dire wolf, facing the gaze of the destructive dire wolf Fregra.

Amanisis felt that he couldn't even be called "He" in relation to the source of that gaze.

Seeing that Amanisis hadn't moved for a while, the gaze knew that its presence had interrupted the process.

He swept his gaze over Amanises, then withdrew and vanished. In that instant, Amanises saw a pair of crimson-gold eyes, like magma, which nearly burned him.

At that moment, Amanises also learned His name.

[Destruction] Star God, Nanuk.

Amanisis stared silently at the bird-beak-shaped ornament in his hand.

why?
Why did I attract His attention?

Given His abilities and personality, He should be associated with mystery, intellect, memory, or preservation.

Why is it "destruction"?
But soon, He thought of a possibility.

“The fourth pillar…” Amanisis repeated the word softly.

Indeed, the "fourth pillar," which would lead to the destruction of the universe upon its birth, certainly fits the interests of this destructive star god.

"What is this? Big fish eat little fish?" Serres's carefree voice came from near Amanisis's divine kingdom.

“Azik went to bully that feathered serpent, then you went to bully Azik, and now Nanuk is going to bully you.” Serres crouched outside Amanisis’s shrine, his hands supporting his head, spying on the scene from a great distance.

“You seem really unhappy. Wow, you’re really ungrateful.” Serres shook his head. “Do you even know what it means to ‘all living beings only crave a glance from the Star God’? The Star God has been staring at you for ages since the humans were destroyed and you’re still not happy about it.”

"If the Annihilation Gang finds out, they'll all have to cosplay as human fireworks."

Amanisis didn't respond to Serres's words, but simply smiled and continued to plan his own affairs.

“Well, it seems you’re ignoring me too.” Serres stood up. “I went to play with Leodorus earlier, but he ignored me as well.”

“Then I’ll go find Steano to play with.” Serres scratched his butt, turned and left, “to see if He’s willing to be a virtual idol.”

Amanisis paused slightly in his movements.

Oh no, He really wants to see this.

…………

Backlund, Queens, inside the Hall family's luxurious villa.

Audrey sat at her desk in her room, fiddling with the two magical items and the two extraordinary properties.

But she hesitated to take action because she was thinking about other things.

Regarding the simulated universe incident last night.

Strangely enough, last night she met the priestess Alicia in her dream.

But when she greeted her, Alicia's first reaction was somewhat strange, as if she had never seen her before. Although she remained enthusiastic afterward, even taking her shopping in Pinocchio for clothes…

Audrey blushed slightly.

...In short, it was more like they were naturally friendly.

This is not normal.

Audrey pushed the roly-poly toy on the table back and forth as she thought carefully.

This is definitely not the "Alice" she knows.

So it was simulated from a simulated universe?

Hmm, she looks almost exactly like the Alicia from the outside world, both in appearance and personality.

Thinking about it, Audrey glanced at her right palm.

Audrey had a sudden thought, and a pattern appeared in her palm.

A pattern resembling a golden wine glass.

In the simulated universe, Alicia introduced Audrey to one of her friends named Eden, and this "mark" was given to Audrey by Eden, the older sister, when they parted.

An engraving called [Gold].

(End of this chapter)